Biodiesel and Elephants

Biodiesel to be cheaper by the grace of Elephants !!!

Elephant image courtsey: geocities.com

Elephant dung contains a fungus..........

Dung, no more shit! It is amorphous gold.

Please don’t ask questions like who, when, how and where, these are only known to the “Reuters” who reported it. Somewhere in Netherlands (as per the reporters) most probably on last Thursday some scientist/s (names not released) has/have discovered a sort of fungus in the elephant dung which is capable of digesting (disintegrating in to basic components) plant cellulose and making it fit to take part in the fermentation process. It is said that this process will be useful in producing bio-fuels. The significance of this discovery (if the report is confirmed) is discussed in the following paragraph.

20% v/s 80%.

Elephant and dung image courtsey: gallery.hd.org

At present when biofuels are produced from biomass like sugarcane, corn etc. In the conventional process as 80 percent of the materials being made of cellulose (since it does not breaks down) go waste as cellulose as such does not take part in fermentation process. At present there is no economically viable process to disintegrate plant cellulose and making it to take part in the process of fermentation. In sugarcane producing countries like Brazil and India this waste is used as fuel or sent to paper mills to be crushed in to pulp.

Biodiesel can be made 50% cheaper.

Sugar cane image courtsey: sparror.cubecinema.com

The discovery of this fungus in the elephant dung may be capable of millions of tonnes of waste in to ethanol thereby adding much value to the sugarcane or corn. Ultimately the farmers are benefited as their produce fetching greater price. Users of biofuels may get this product in half the price even if farmers are paid more and the refiners get better margin. The difference is not small 80% of the waste which is burnt raw gets converted in to much sought after biofuel v/s just 20% at present. Burning cane waste for power may turn similar to burning currency notes for the purpose in the near future.

Waste is wealth.

The significance of this discovery is not limited in just sugarcane or sweet potato but the entire biomass like sawdust, dry leaf that litters the roads, straw etc may be turning in to money spinners and disposing of the street waste may be no more the burden on the part of the local bodies as they will not be littered, even if a piece of paper dropped carelessly may be grabbed by the onlooker! The following is a true story which will happen in 20^th May 2010!

The story of a just policeman!

Policeman image courtsey: marcorsyscom.usmc.mil

Location M.G. Road Ernakulam, Kerala state, India, time 9-30 in the morning, street crowded as usual. An old man found quarreling with a one middle aged person; reason came to be known as the middle-aged took some paper lost by the old man. The loser claiming that the waste paper belonged to him which he had accidentally dropped. As the quarrel progresses policeman interferes taking possession of the paper driving both claimants away by threats of dire consequences. When claimants vanish the policeman puts it his in his pocket go home and tells his wife “Darling, I managed a piece of waste paper today let’s make some biofuel and fill our scooter”.

Another true story one week after publishing the blog.

Blogger image courtsey: nadadotcom.com

The author sitting in his living room sees some people crowded in the neighborhood, he went to see what was going on and found somebody stirring in a large copper vessel (which contained some dry leaves put in water) on the stove. On enquiry I came to know that he was making biofuel after reading my blog (the author felt a sense of pride as it was a good thing to have admirers along with some fear as if his experiment fails anything could happen!). That man also pointed to the elephant dung he has stocked for use! His plan was simple when the water is boiled let it cool add some dung and leave the concoction to ferment for one week, boil collect the vapor in a bottle and pour it in the car.

Witch potion maker image courtsey: printactivities.com

Every elephant has his day!

Elephants are very much related with Indian cultural celebrations like temple festivals, in these programs they are taken to temples to temples thereby inflicting much sufferings in to these poor animals. If they are kept for their dung at least they may better fed (as more feeds mean more dung!). It may be elephant’s day coming as the old adage goes “every elephant has his day”.